Switch lever stop



Sept. 14, 1948*.

x H. E. BLAIR SWITCH LEVER STOP Filed June 27, 1944 Bragv yam-3 Inventor Attorney Patented Sept. 14, 1948 UNITED STTES A'i'N'l .FFIC'E: time I I SWITCHLEVER s'roe Homer E. Blair, M00001, Ind.

Application June 27, 1944, Serial 542,396.

The present invention aims to provide an improved form of stop for arresting the travel of the hand-operated lever of a railway switch stand. I

An object of the invention isto provid means for minimizing the shock and thrust heretofore thrown through the switch-operating lever to the stand, its fastening, and bearings, which has caused loosening of the stand, rapid wear of its bearings, and damage to the equipment attached to the stand.

In the past, considerable damage has resulted to railway'switch stands, and, especially to low stands, from the manual throwing of the switch lever. The leveris pivoted to the stand, and the free outer end of the lever carries a relatively heavy weight. When the lever is forcibly thrown and the shank of the lever strikesa stop member, with the weight extending therebeyond, there is a terrific leverage tending to raise the housing in the air. Frequently, a switch man, especially in railway yards, will have a string of uncoupled freight cars coming toward him, and it is essential that he throw the switch lever in one direction for the first car, and rapidly throwthe switch lever in the opposite direction to transfer the second oncoming car to a difierent track,'and so on. Such very rapid throwing of the lever frequently resulted in injury to the housing of the switch mechanism, the break g of the Fght in the event the switch stan-dwas so equipped, and

often causing long and expensive delay before the switch mechanism could be repaired so as to again operate. This formerly knowntype of switch lever with its associated stop member frequently loosened the stand, requiring tie plugs to be inserted and redriving of spikes, considerably shortening the life of the ties to which the housing is connected. With rapid throwing of a switch lever it is customary for the switchman to keep his hands, that is, both hands, on the lever weight at all times. Usually, one hand was beneath the weight, and frequently crushed fingers and crushed feet resulted.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a stop member for a switch stand which may be so located on a tie that contact between the lever arm and the stop member occurs immediately adjacent the weight on the end of the lever arm,to thereby minimize the shock to the housing and associated equipment by virtue of the throwing of the switch lever.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of a switch lever stop having an up- 6 Claims. (01. 74-526) standing'curvate stop portion to thereby give a high single contact point with the switch lever to avoid injury we workrnans hands in the event one hand is disposed beneath the weight on the end of the switch lever. l Still another object of this invention is-the provision of a stop member for a switch lever; which stop member isso constructed that it may be spiked to a tie with the spikes Well within the tie and with the stop member disposed insubstantially any desired location. l l l While some of the more salient features, characteristicsand advantages of theinstant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which? l f l Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view,with parts in section, of a switch stand with apair of switch stops embodying principles ofthe instant inven tion associated therewith; l W

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational viewpf the structure of Figure l; l Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of myimprovedstop membemand Figure 4 is a side elevation ofFigure 3. v

Referring in detail to the drawings, i0 represents the housing of a conventional form of switch stand.j"This housing rotatably supports a shaft H to which'is keyed or otherwise secured a switch-operating lever i4 having a weight H5 at the free end thereof. Within the housing is a crank i8 having a. crankpin 20 adapted to operate aknown type Ofslide'member 22. This slide membe'r is adapted stantiallystraight-linemotion along a guide 24. Member 22, when shifted,acts in a known manner through a pin 28, to shift a link 28,which is effective to rock a shaft 30 'which ca'rries a lever 32 pinconnected' at 34,to a link 36 which in turn is suitably connected to the movable part of the track switch. Theseswitch-operating parts areofwell known conventional form, and form no part of the present inventionthus need not'be further shownor described. Heretofore, when the] operating lever i l 'ofa switch stand has been thrown, it has come to rest against a rigid fixed abutment usually forming part of, or scured to, the housing of the of the stop member switch stand. In practice it has been found that the conventional stops heretofore used transmitted shocks to the switch stand and operating mechanism thereof. The chief object of the present invention is to eliminate such shocks and to be shifted in a. substrains. To this end I have devised the improved lever stop shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4.

The improved stop is formed of commercially obtainable flat steel or iron bar stock shaped to the configuration of Figure 4, so as to provide a flat base 38 which preferably has one or more holes 40 therein to accommodate fastening means such as lag screws, nails, or spikes 42, which are adapted to hescrewedi or driven. into; the slipsporting ties 44' on which the switch stand" ismounted. At one end the stop is of curled formation constituting a slightly yieldable abut-.- ment portion, as indicated at 46, and-the; tremity 48 of the bar stock of which the stop is formed is bent around and extended down-iso as-z to contact the upper face of, the-base 3.8,. as shown. Preferably the extremity 48will'be tack- 4 ing the driving of spikes into ties. The positioning of the instant invention so that the abutment is immediately adjacent the weight on the switch lever eliminates one of the heretofore major causes of injury to switch mechanism, and at the same time protects the operator from injury to hands and feet during the throwing of switches. Further, the instant invention is simp le in construction, and extremely economical to install and use, and the. invention is somewhat universal in its application in that it can be used with switch stands, especially low stands, of subta itiallm y typ welded to the base 38, thus integrallysecuringv the curled extremity to, the base by a body of weld metalfifl. herm-led o mation of, eabutment, descr bed-1 endowsf t w th a; certai amou t Off inherent: resiliency so, that when the, switchis throw ampl rom e u.1lline position of Figura-2rto -the dotted line-posir tion, 4 the: blow, will be cushioned, thus minimizh sshoeksandiw ar m h i t h parts, w th t e result? hatrtherlifeaoi"theiswit hi and nd equip menticonnected thereto will; heprOIOnged. It iul fifinfitfidfi that: therstopiist not on ected; 011-- rectly to nor interloclgedjnzany:manner with the switch sta dstructwie i proper; but isuaseparate pieces moun ab e: in: nydesirable locatio an a tie: a-diac the: swi tand: str t re. Eur.

1t: ,s ould; be, noted gthat thestop is. not of theheretofore known: ype h ch; u ally h spike holes on each side of the a'butment-por tionaand; frequ ntly; are; attach d; t w nt locked; with; the, base;- orrhous fn i f; the, w tch I claim:

1 .'.A.e1SWi1ZQh lever stop of the character shown and described consisting of a metal bar curled around-near one end to provide a slightly yieldable;and curvate abutment for arresting the movement of a switch lever at a predetermined po- Simon... n,

;.A'. switch ley nst ofi ha haacter shQWn. nd d s ribed; o sis ing, f; u st n ia y fla base having perforations therein adapted to reeiveastenin means, and, a, slig vi wab abutment. QQ LfiiOI cu le outwa dl,y v from the planehf hei ase. t heside f a dperf rati ns and'hamn theertremity ther of;cont t g, aid base with, a outwardly c0nve x curvate por ioni actihaasthea utmen for. s i ever,

stand.- amtthuss rermaterialln limi dtasr to their: a

location. Regulations require, that spikes. be; driven; into-.antierat ast two; i ch s, ro a the edge of the tie, and ties are usually eight or: nine inches: de: ac oss he worki g; a e thereof- With the instant invention therefpre, it is a simnlezexpedientt les ateithe stop thr heahutment portion adjacent the weight I 6,. on; the, switch lev rnawdzyetr hes sn kes hat ho d. h stoutmernhento; the: ti ay driven: in o:- he tie e: w 12 n ide: th Pr s d: tw r nch .m 'Ihis=1s.-.quit lear fr m-. hea h wina n fi hreeaor thed'rawin a t: sh uld: also; he t d, esp iallyfr m! h showing; in, Fi ure 1 2;, hat: with t e; nsta t in:- venti n there: s: nly? p nt ent ct be w n. th abutment" and: the witchileven s: o ou s sfi-hy', virtue, oi; the: our ate fo mation: of: t e. abutment; This: curs a e: fo ma oni, owemer, prov d s; a distinct advantag ver haflatn abutmentsi-heret m aed. name y, an; op at r set: his; hands se lose o; he: a utment; withoutdanserrefi ru hinsqhis fin-eersd,u ine the throwing?oiithas t h-i ever,

Emilia the5foregoin tr s ahnaren ha I have lillfil'i dfldj at nov l; top! mem er or asso at n with a swit h standi,which.-.ston m mber-maybe lo ated: onthe ie tois t. lo al, o d tions. withoiittdansen of; s littins thetieby rtue of. n: 'deavorine to r ve; a ike oo. lo e. o. tha d e the tie. Positioning oi, theinsi nt nventiqn satisfies all resii rements. or. n eule ohss hnsem:

3'; A switch lever stop including a substantially flan ase. andanabutm nt p rti n curving pweirdly andiihrva dly from. n ndi f d bas hee-free endiof; said hutment; porti n ontacti the at ase, s nd-l ldi'ioin ne, aid ree ndto saidbasa. v

witch. l ver. stop. including a. ,fiat. m tal harihavih ah nte ral.unstandinermlati ineend; said; ar being, pericratedi ez: atta hing, means JIJilL lSQtQDI QSiQQ o.f:said;m11.

;.A'.. W h. BV li stop, ncluding, a ase n rim ratedior a tachiugm ns.andian ou dlyco e x: upstanding hu ment, portion of, he. same material\ asthehas sand; disposed: nti ely to. one. side f: he. ueriorated port m aid; ab tm nt nortionl ei g. iiheavxstoch eiw th tand'biaws it switchleyeh. I

6;. asw teh 1 .:SQD; iI1Cll ing a ll stantially iat t ngag n portionaving; an. op ning hereinifo.rl a fa ieni a elem nt, and an upstande nsahutmentinort on at n nd'of 'saidifiat per.- tionandi nt elu o one side ofsa d'ope th spacing betweensaid: opening and said abutment being at least; two inches, said abutment being ha d o asel rsupp. .rtihs. i

HOMER a; BLA R.

BEFERENCESf CITED v The:: following references. are; of record inithe filsihis. pa nt-,

UNITED STATES i PATENTS 

